HARD SHOULDER

Hard Shoulder updates

2011-06-04T03:07:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone - just a quick update to let you know that everything is moving forwards at a pace now and the project is only a few weeks away from finally being completed. The VFX have been delivered (though I have not had a chance to look over the fx in edit yet) and I am preparing for the final mix at Pinewood in about 1o days time. Hopefully everything will be completed as intended and I can announce a screening date for you all to attend.

On another note I just want to apologize for the seemingly bizarre disappearance of both the IMDB page and the official website, something that I wasn't informed of, nor expected to occur, but clearly autonomous individuals have decided to remove the HS listing or otherwise indulge themselves in something altogether more creative. I have already made steps to reinitiate the IMDB listing regardless, and as far as the HS website is concerned expect those responsible for the revamp to at the very least consult with me before anything else goes up!

Elsewhere response to the Cannes sampler and teaser has been excellent and I am preparing to speak directly with the distributor over exactly the terms of the deal they are proposing. To finally be able to get HS out into the world will be fantastic for all of us!

Cheers for now!

N

Assembly............

2010-07-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

The first 'show-worthy' assembly will be completed next Thursday (22nd July) and the final cut should be finalised by the second week of October 2010 ready for the Raindance Int'l Film Fest, and thereafter AFM '10. We have assembled a great team for post production and the sound, score, and vfx elements are in place ready to move once we lock the first sequence of picture which I hope will be in 2-4 weeks time. So far everything is running smoothly and the assembly looks very intriguing........dark, gritty, and engaging.

HARD SHOULDER - Trailer 2010

2010-04-09T03:42:00.000-07:00

Removed subject to distributor's request. New trailer coming soon !

Post-Production

2010-02-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Just a quick update to let everyone know that post-production is progressing at a modest if not scintillating pace as we try to get to grips with the small amount of time we are able to grab with the great technicians at Technicolour courtesy of their enormous goodwill and patience.

We are currently compiling a very beautiful looking first assembly, negotiating with a top level composer and sound mix supervisor, and testing the waters of what is and what is not possible with a very well known VFX house. All things being equal we will be ready for our cast and crew screening by the end of June this year and submitting to The Venice International Film Festival for August/September.

It's all very much in our hands at this time but we are not going to rush this project out into the world just to make deadline on a film festival. That really would be counter-productive. Needless to say the entire remaining crew are working very hard to bring you all the very best product we can.

Thank you for staying with us.............

Best,

Nick

Set Stills & Screen Grabs - HARD SHOULDER

2009-10-04T01:09:00.000-07:00

Done & Dusted

2009-10-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

Been a long while since I updated this blog - due I must confess to being totally snowed under with prep work on HARD SHOULDER.

Well latest news is that we have officially wrapped on principle photography (Sept 1st - Sept 26th) and bar a few pick ups and a couple of days to reshoot - the movie is in the can.

Next up is the long process of edit, grade, sound, and score in preparation for a March 2010 delivery of the final cut of the movie.

There's a definite subconscious something going on with this film - a sort of homage if you will - to the great classics of the 80's like Duel, and The Hitcher, and also to more recent "classics" like Saw, The Devil's Rejects, Lost Highway, From Dusk Til Dawn, Dead End. I don't know how exactly but I genuinely feel this is the sort of movie that would float QT's boat. Let's hope he gets to see it............and has something good to say about it too!

I've been absolutely amazed at the quality of the raw footage - not so much in that I didn't think it possible, for my great friend Steven Priovolos, Cinematographer extraordinaire, was behind the lens - but that after struggling for 12 years to get my work read and produced to finally see my written words in a 3D world, with life and colour, and characters I had created walking, talking, and breathing - it's truly awesome. I still can't believe we've done that!

So as a taster of things to come I have included a couple of set stills and a screen grab or two from the original rushes. Enjoy!

So, back to "The Room" they call the edit suite - otherwise you guys will never see the finished product.

Thanks for hanging with me. More updates soon!

Nick

No Rest on the Hard Shoulder................

2009-05-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

We are so close I can smell the coffee and doughnuts at my 4am wake up call! Everything is moving along well, despite having to put back by 6 weeks owing to a foul-up with the financial completion. Now just tidying up cash-flow we have a confirmed schedule start of 10 July for pre-production with a 24th August 2009 first day of principal photography. Everything is in place - cast, HoD's, studios, equipment , and post-production elements. Money in the bank with a little more to gather and we are rocking ready!

It's getting very exciting as Steve Simmons completes the storyboards, concepts, mood boards, and costume preliminaries ahead of our first production meetings. Steven Priovolos, currently overseas will be back to help me with test shoot and equipment compilation ahead of final delivery requirements from Panavision. currently we are still negotiating with both Kodak and Fuji for their best stocks, unsure quite of which to go with. We may end up shooting test strips of both the Eterna 500 and the Vision2........only because Vision3 I feel will offer too saturated an image for our needs.

We are continuing with our production design ideas and will undoubtedly have something very intriguing for the Production Designer and Art Director when they are brought onto the project and the production meetings begin in earnest. Mike Peel, heading up our SFX department, is also working hard, currently on a scale model of the set, again for those first production meetings in July.

So all in all things are incredibly busy. If you want an update on any other of Oceanstorm Films projects then you know where to head by now........the blog is online here as well.

Catch you later!

Nick

2009-03-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Set the Rigging....

2009-03-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well just time I think in my busy schedule to get you up to date with what's happening.............

1) Studios agreed - London, down at 3 Mills Studios it looks like - same place Danny Boyle Shot 28 Days & Sunshine.

2) 2 perf 35mm supplied by Panavision it seems plus a coupla 3 perfs for the 'stunt sequences' and those are under wraps.

3) Set build designs under way.....a really gruesome, wet, slimy, abandoned roadside diner.

4) Finance proceeding with good contacts and negotiations well under way with a final budget approaching £300k.........a far cry from the £50k I first conceived possible....maybe on my DV cam but not now!

5) All cast in place.........deal memos being put together.....Jamie Foreman and Wil Johnson headlining.

6) Discussions ongoing for theatrical distribution.....with major sales/distrib entity. Coming to a cinema near you now more than likely!

7) Storyboards being compiled from a very comprehensive shotlist but we won't be slaves.....adaptability is our maxim. Great design work from my buddy, Steve Simmons!

8) Website due to go 'live!' by March 14th 2009 so keep an eye open for it!

9) Now confirmed participation from the Vfx guys behind Hellboy and BM: The Dark Knight, the sound people on Captain Correlli's Mandolin, the post prod guys on Hunger, music score from the composers of Rise of the Footsoldiers, and model makers from The Descent.

10) Also stunt prep for some amazing road, and fire work being completed by a team whose credits include Saving Private Ryan, and Casino Royale.

So there is a bit of information to keep you excited for what HARD SHOULDER is going to deliver. How did we achieve all this you might ask, on only £120k cash budget? The answer is we didn't. Without the support and passion of many talented individuals we would never have got this far let alone be on the verge of something so exciting....and so sizable.

Remember one thing as you go about preparing your own projects................there is nothing more valuable than a..................GREAT SCRIPT!

Keep truckin everyone.

Nick

This Ain't No Park 'n' Ride..............

2009-02-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

Here's the gig - "Hard Shoulder" is now only 12 weeks, give or take, away from production. Watch this space. The new website to promote the film goes live on March 14th 2009 at http://www.hardshoulderthemovie.com/

It's going to be one helluva film!

Nick

2008-11-18T04:47:00.000-08:00

Project Developments..........

The finance plan has been put into effect and two significant private investors have come onboard to kick start the funding.

Also we have had confirmed interest from Jamie Foreman who has read the script and is looking to discuss the project with us.

Sales agent discussions are also under way.

Exec Production interest has been received from Matador Films as we push to compile the package for production.

Cast News..........

2008-07-24T14:28:00.001-07:00

In the last few days we have made significant progress.........

Attachment from James Fisher (Hooligans, Zombie Diaries), and Lucy Drive (Banged Up Abroad), and Frances Speedie.

Confirmed interest to attach from Wil Johnson (Clocking Off, Waking the Dead)

Interest from Jill Greenacre (Brittas Empire), Angela Dixon (A Snake's Tail), and Jon Campling (Penetration Angst).

Request to read from Eddie Marsan (MI3, V for Vendetta, Hancock, Miami Vice)

So Far So Good.........

2008-07-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm chuffed right now - really chuffed. The script for Hard Shoulder has been, to date at least, well received by my regular army of readers and the few cast members who have been shortlisted for roles already. No audition process on this one, just careful selection based upon the producer's knowledge, and close scrutiny of showreels.

The script is holding up really well. A few tweaks to the timeline is all that has been ordered so far, and in the main the narrative remains tight and focused. If anything it is the subtext that is proving tough to comprehend in all its complexity, for it is very multi-layered, and in places ambiguous. I don't necessarily think that a problem - in a 'David Lynch' kind of way it is complimentary. Oh to create something as memorable as Lost Highway.

Work continues to secure finance, find locations and suitable studios, as well as entice the two 'big boys' who will anchor the production for us. It is all a matter of chance but all in all we're ship shape and raring to set sail. Had some interesting advice today from a well respected sound recordist and am looking into securing his considerable talent for the duration of the shoot, as consultant if necessary, but in the sound 'hot seat' if possible.

Nick

Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.........

2008-06-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

Well that aspect of writing never really appealed to me. Come to think of it I don't know many writers who enjoy the process either. But whatever way you cut it, rewrite is one of those necessary stages that we must all go through to ensure our prized creations really bite! And as far as "Hard Shoulder" is concerned, boy does this one kick arse! I'm like a kid in a sweet shop at the moment, all hyped up like I've been chewing on sugar all day every day for the past week. I'm excited by this story. I think it has all the ingredients for an absolute guaranteed success. It won't find its way into cinemas I doubt, not with a £50k budget behind it (though stranger things have happened) but I'm confident audiences for DVD will rent and talk about it long into the night. It you get the deeper meaning, if my job has been done well, you'll find layer upon layer of other stuff to go searching for. Motifs, subtexts, subliminal elements that neither strike you nor, even at second viewing, necessarily mean anything to you. Until that is you think about the movie as a whole. Then the penny will drop.

I'm busy packaging this baby up as we speak - unusually. I wouldn't ordinarily go out to seek market interest with a 1st draft, but this primer is good - even for me it's a blinding first draft. And I already have finance interest lined up and this interest should hold together because the stroy is a good one. All the right beats in all the right places, A story, B story, bad ass characters, a hero who arcs (though in an unexpected way which is the twist), a little stuff for the girls, a little for the guys, action, violence, oppressive scenes, light relief. It has it all. And I'm as pleased as the proverbial moggy who got the cream.

Which brings me to my debt of thanks. some people have followed the Vicki King "21 Days to a Script" which is one hell of a book. Personally, and especially this time around, my thanks go to Blake Snyder and his "Save The Cat" which left me with a huge dose of structural enthusiasm to try something different to the Vogler, Field, McKee, and Seger structures that I normally follow.
What I have, in 28 days, is a non-linear psychological thriller, that ticks all the boxes. So not only have I stepped out of the genre comfort zone of horror (although a close cousin), I have also tried a new method of writing. And blow me if in a month I haven't manage to pull something special out of the bag.

If all goes well, and progress continues at the same healthy rate we'll have this story financed and under way before you can blink. And added to that is the self belief that I can get Ray Winstone to read it, if not commit himself to playing a substantial role. A film starring the might Win? Now that would be an awesome achievement.

So watch this space.....................................

Nick

Stage One: Script

2008-06-18T02:34:00.000-07:00

From the seeds of idea a great oak will one day stand - I hope.

Well the germination process has kicked in and here we are, three weeks later, with a full feature script - 80 or 100 pages depending on 'squeeze' and 'spacings'.

I'm very proud of it, and although this is but the first stage and the draft is pretty rough, to say the least, the framework of what I was aiming for is clearly there. I'm excited by the twists and turns, the sense of 'twilight zone' about the subplots interweaving with the main narrative, and the diversity of the main character, Carl. All in all its very trippy.

I'm going ot put it down now for a few days and revel in the completion of my eighth feature script before coming back to it with a creative vengeance. I know this will be a tough ask - I'm keener than mustard to get to grips with it for the next draft.

It does seem to have 'grown' slightly since the beat outline, both in terms of scale, location, and thus budget, but not so as to preclude it from the predicted production cost of £40k. And to think I was hoping to get this bad boy done on deferral for £6k at one time.

I think I must have been dreaming that one!